Saturday, 4 September 2010

Golden Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

Having just plundered an early fat pumpkin from the allotment and chopped it up ready for a Thai curry this evening, it got me thinking about one of the true food crimes people up and down the country commit - throwing away those precious pumpkin seeds.

You sometimes see chefs on television doing it and I can guarantee that some of my readers will admit to it, but throwing away those seeds are a big mistake. Roasted with a little oil and tossed in salt and pepper, perhaps a little chilli and lemon, they make for a delicious snack with a cold beer or an accompaniment to the food you are cooking, whether that is the Thai curry I'm about to have or with slices of roast pumpkin for your evening meal.

Fresh from the pumpkin, they are still coated in a little flesh and cooked for barely 10 minutes, they turn all lovely, crunchy and caramelised. Packed with protein and minerals, they are also really good for you. So do yourself a favour the next time you are slicing up a squash or a pumpkin and toast those seeds to golden perfection for an irreplaceable easy food.

Golden Salt and Pepper Pumpkin Seeds

Fresh pumpkin or squash seeds
Sunflower oil
Salt and pepper

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 160C/GM4.
2 - Put the seeds onto an oven tray and toss in a couple of tablespoons of sunflower oil. Place onto the middle shelf and roast for 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
3 - Remove from the oven, allow to cool slightly, then pile into a bowl and toss with salt and pepper, or experiment with your herbs and spices. Delicious.